Opinion

Americans are getting more obese and out of shape every day. To help stop this unhealthy trend, at least in the Southland, in stepped the editors of the Daily Southtown with the new format for the paper. Rather than complain about the paper, use the new format to get healthy. First, you...

Congratulations to Subaru. I just love the commercials with the dog families. Oh, how did they ever train those dogs to do that? I'm really enjoying them and my neighbors are too. It's good to see a nice commercial for a change that you can really relate to. I just wanted to say that just for...

I hope Tinley Park residents have been reading Gregory Pratt's stories in the Southtown about the village awarding contracts without bidding to businesses with political clout. Pratt has done a stellar job uncovering the unethical practices of the mayor of Tinley Park and his staff members....

Victims of domestic violence face eviction from their apartments under crime-free housing laws for repeatedly calling police to report abusive spouses, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois.

Beer is America's drink of choice and for many good reasons. Today we have more diversity in brands and styles than at any point in recent history, meaning there is literally a beer for every person and almost every occasion.

Al's Beef and Nancy's Pizza on 95th Street in Oak Lawn are again closed. This time, according to a difficult-to-read sign on the door, they are "closed for maintenance." This place has changed management three or four times in as many years. Why? Both restaurants have good food and what one...

Thank you to the sixth-grade students of St. Catherine of Alexandria School in Oak Lawn for the idea of an cellphone app of scrapbook photos to help Alzheimer's Disease patients remember family members. The "remember me" app shows how much we really need support for this and many more mental...

After he was elected but before he was sworn into office, Bruce Rauner repeatedly lambasted Gov. Pat Quinn and the legislative Democrats for passing a "booby trap" budget that was about to blow up in the state's collective face.

Bob from Oak Forest was correct about Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. All he did was take Wisconsin's billion-dollar deficit and turn it into the black. That's something no Democratic governor has done for Illinois in a generation. They've only added to a multibillion-dollar deficit.

So Rauner wants to cut frivolous spending in the state. I'll lend a hand for free — don't pay someone $30,000 a month to be your budget expert. She seemed to do very little for the state of California, another state that is financially in the toilet. Rauner's wife now has a chief of staff...

Tinley Park's elected officials need to get vision and hearing tests. They don't see the unoccupied businesses and homes that are unkempt, and they don't hear us taxpayers getting fed up with them. Give us a 60 percent decrease in our property tax. Thank you.

I would like to know why in the new Southtown, the Speak Out section has been relegated to such a small part of the paper. It's a very important part of the paper, and I'd like to have that expanded the way it was before.

Ladies and gentlemen, friends and neighbors, boys and girls, you are about to witness the ability of human beings to believe almost anything (the willingness to suspend their disbelief, as thespians refer to it) in order to reach a conclusion that defies all logic.

President Obama reminds me of what my friends and I thought was a "cool parent." You know, the parent who let you drink underage in his basement, who knew the latest slang, the good handshakes, the hip clothes. All the while we really just wanted him out of the way so we could be ourselves....

How can you expect young people today to amount to anything when role models, be it athletes or rock stars, display such poor taste in the way they show themselves in public? Having lots of money does not make up for having no class. But then again we are a society with no manners.

You have to be careful for what you wish for. A majority of Illinois voters wished Gov. Quinn would be defeated, and they got their wish. Bruce Rauner has come out swinging, looking out for his staff with higher pay and putting an ax through Medicaid and other programs. So sit back and enjoy...

Bob from Oak Forest must still be believing Scott Walker's campaign promises when he ran for governor of Wisconsin. While he has fulfilled his promise to break the state employee unions, it has been done at the state's expense. Less pay to people means less money being spent in the state....

One recent contributor to Speak Out said she finds the criticism of President Obama offensive. Presidential criticism goes all the way back to the presidency of George Washington and every president since has received bad press, negative comments and some level of political opposition. Why...

I was wondering if anyone knows why it takes weeks for gasoline prices to fall 10 or 20 cents per gallon, but in a matter of four days prices in the Alsip/Palos Heights area recently went from $1.99 to $2.49? Maybe this will quiet the news reporters from talking about how great a time it is...

Bobcats are now an endangered species in Illinois and cannot be hunted, but if you're a 95-year-old World War II veteran it's apparently open season, at least in Park Forest as long as the police thug squad is wearing badges. If five, heavily armed police officers felt their lives were at...

When Debbie Chafee discovered that a rewrite of Illinois' school funding formula in Springfield would cut her daughter's school district's budget by $4 million, she launched a one-woman crusade that stopped Senate Bill 16 dead in its tracks.

Think you can write a funny caption to go with the photo above? Send in yours, and we'll be the judge. Every Monday we'll run a photo and the best captions from the previous week. Your submissions can be mailed to: Thousand Words, c/o 435 N. Michigan Ave. #6, Chicago, IL 60611. They also can be...

Congratulations to the single mom who's getting her master's degree. I'm sure your son's very proud of you. My mom was a single mom, too. And she did a wonderful job and there's nothing wrong with being a single mom. Sometimes it's best to raise the children without the father, especially if...

Gov. Bruce Rauner's State of the State address didn't sit well with Southland legislators who said it was more politics than substance, emphasizing that his road map to economic improvement remains incomplete until the governor unveils his budget plan Feb. 18.

The Daily Southtown welcomes letters to the editor. Email them to letters@southtownstar.com and include your name, address and phone number. Only your name and the town you reside in will appear with the letter. Please keep a letter to no more than 200 words. The Southtown is not responsible...

Really enjoyed Donna Vickroy's recent article about the teenagers from France who spent the holidays in Tinley Park. The students were very respectful and positive about their visit, but the one comment that really stood out for me was when one of them said, "In France, people wouldn't consider...

I hope the people who voted for this president are happy. They elected him once and then had the unmitigated gall to repeat the mistake again. This poor excuse for a president has done more damage to the United States of America in six years than all the presidents put together. He has...

After reading St. Xavier University professor Jason Lambert's column about the deaths of Michael Brown and Erin Garner, I can only say that what employees talk about at the water cooler is not a reflection of any company's culture, and there are at least three reasons why employees would be...

There is a player on the Seattle Seahawks football team who virtually refuses to speak to the media. Now mind you, without the media, the extravaganza known as the “Super Bowl” wouldn’t be one of the largest annually promoted events in the world. Along with that promotion...

He wasn’t a rapper, he wasn’t a pro athlete, he wasn’t a politician. What he was, was a hero to mankind. He wrote over 450 scientific papers. He was revered in Japan. He is Dr. Donald F. Steiner, a University of Chicago researcher. His scientific work resulted in a purer...

Many states have implemented stricter rules and procedures for their citizens to exercise their right to vote. Many of these rules place a greater burden on the elderly, the sick, the poor or members of a minority.

I enjoyed the story of adopt a sailor for Thanksgiving. I also adopted a sailor. My grandson is in boot camp. He also brought a friend. The first thing they wanted to do was go to McDonalds for breakfast. It was their first time off base. They were really excited to be able to talk and see...

I was born and raised in Chicago. In my 70 years, I have never thought that I was of any importance to the Bears or any sports team. I can still be a fan. The only one I worship is God. If you were offered a contract worth millions of dollars to do something you are good at, are you saying...

What I don’t understand is that the law for “hands free” has been in effect for almost one year and, yet, people still drive talking and texting on their phones. I like the people who hold phones in their hands with the speaker on. You’re still holding your phone. Not to...

As the proud parent of a student-athlete at Providence Catholic High School, I would like to congratulate the football team for winning the 7A state championship. These young men have worked extremely hard to succeed not only on the field but in the classroom at this outstanding school. In...

Whoever you are who threw that brick through my kitchen window, I want you to know I am an almost 80-year-old grandmother who lives on Social Security. It cost nearly $600 to fix what you did. I am a strong believer in karma. Thanks for making our Christmas a little less merry.

Recently, police-bashing has become very popular. Their work behavior is under a microscope. I think it’s time the statistics for the number of police either injured/killed in the performance of their duty should be publicized. It’s not a perfect world we live in. They are...

In his Nov. 30 column, Evan F. Moore says we have serious racial issues in America and need to talk openly about them. However, as long as we have people like Mr. Moore and the Rev. Jesse Jackson promoting racial disparity by equating smashing windows and grabbing televisions with events such...

I agree with Barack Obama’s description of Judy Baar Topinka. “She was blunt, pragmatic, unfailingly cheerful and energetic, and always willing to put politics aside to find common-sense solutions that made a difference for the people of Illinois.” Rest in peace, Judy. We...